Yorkshire MP claims parents are home schooling children to avoid 'inappropriate sex education’

Andrea Jenkyns, MP for Morley and Outwood, said she has heard from parents in her constituency “who feel they’ve got no choice but to educate their children” because some schools are “exposing infant children to information about adult sexual acts”.

“As legislators and as parents we have a duty to protect the innocence of our children,” she added.

Relationships Education became compulsory in all primary schools in 2020 and the Government said teachers can choose to teach pupils about aspects of sex during those lessons.

Ms Jenkyns made the comments during a debate on the Government’s plan to make parents register their home-educated children with their local council.

The Department for Education said the register, proposed in the Schools Bill, will help local authorities ensure that every child is receiving a suitable education and intervene when necessary.

The latest figures show 115,542 children were electively home schooled in England in the 2020/21 academic year, 34 per cent more than the previous year.

Nick Fletcher, MP for Don Valley, said home education offers children “many benefits” when it is “done properly”.

The Tory MP said parents have the right to teach “subjects they feel are most beneficial to their child” and avoid some of the “totally unacceptable” topics taught in school.

“Unacceptable material and politically contentious issues are being taught as we speak,” he said. “I for one would seriously consider homeschooling my children if they were of that age.”

Mr Fletcher also said thousands of parents are reluctant to register with councils, claiming they are already “far too overbearing”.

“Yet again, good people doing a good job are threatened with more state overreach because of the poor behaviour of a few,” he added.

He said that if a new register is implemented the Government must protect parents, “limit the role of the local authority” and set up a clear complaints process.

During the debate, MPs said some children may be receiving an inadequate education, or no education at all, while others are at a greater risk of harm or exploitation.

Education Minister Nick Gibb said the number of children who have been taken out of school has risen during the Covid-19 pandemic and councils across the country are becoming increasingly concerned that some are not receiving a suitable education at home.

Under the current rules, parents are not required to follow the national curriculum, make their children take exams or notify the council that they are home schooling.

The Government is looking to introduce a new registration system, but does not want to give councils new powers to monitor parents or dictate the subjects they teach.

Mr Gibb said councils should aim to contact parents at least once a year and “have a proper dialogue” to “reassure themselves of the quality of the education”.